Douglas school officials are working to complete major renovations on two decades-old elementary schools before the start of classes Aug. 7.

Dorsett Shoals Elementary is receiving a new roof, new lighting and flooring, among other items, said Kirk Nicholson, capital improvements coordinator for the school system.

The 30-year-old school includes 54,500 square feet. Its renovation project involves installation of new exterior doors and a security vestibule that forces visitors to enter the main office first before having access to the remainder of the building.

“Teachers can let students in. Parents must go in the office,” Nicholson said.

Some projects are designed to ease building maintenance. A carpet installed in squares will replace older carpeting because individual squares can be easily replaced if stained or damaged, he said. Porcelain tile is replacing vinyl floors that must be stripped and waxed.

A new heating and air conditioning system will allow teachers to control the temperatures in their own rooms rather than relying on a central control for the whole building, Nicholson said.

Contractors are working seven days a week to complete projects at Arbor Station, said school system construction supervisor Jack Gardner.

Arbor Station, a 71,800-square-foot facility, will receive everything from a larger clinic room to a repainted gym – including sanding and restriping of the entire 22-year-old gym floor, Gardner said.

The school, located off West Stewarts Mill Road in central Douglas, was built in the mid-1970s. The gym was added in 1991, Gardner said.

Renovations included division of a former large classroom into two rooms, for speech therapy and computer mainframe storage, he said.

However, the project is merely renovating the existing space, not adding more to it, he said.

Other school system projects this summer included a renovation of the auxiliary gym and repaving of the bus lanes at Douglas County High School, a 70,000-square-foot roof replacement at Chapel Hill High School and window replacements at Alexander High School and Stewart Middle School.

Funding for Arbor Station and Dorsett Shoals is coming from a 2007 bond issue.

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